How much is there?

There are millions of tons of food loss and waste in the United States

There is no single comprehensive estimate of food loss and waste (FLW) in the United States. A number of diverse estimates describe the extent of the problem. These estimates vary depending on a number of factors, including:

Whether inedible parts, such as bones, rinds and pits, are included

Which destinations, such as animal feed and composting, are included

Which primary data sets and methods are used

Commonly cited estimates of FLW in the United States include (scroll down to learn more about how these estimates compare):